INCOME TRANSFER PAYMENTS AS CONTRIBUTORS TO INFLATION

Financial Economics,

TYPES OF INCOME MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS

Agricultural Finance,

Mean-Covariance Structure Models in Economic Research: an Application to a Lending Program for Development in Burkina Faso

As applied development economic models become more sophisticated, they include increasingly complex conceptual variables. Due to data collection limitations, accurate proxies and continuous variables are often unavailable. A Mean and Covariance Structure model (MECOSA) is offered as a useful methodology for the incorporation of latent variables with metric, censored metric, dichotomous and ordinal indicators. As an example, conceptual variables (including borrower homogeneity and the domino effect) presented in the Besley and Coate (1995) group lending repayment game were specified as latent variables with non-metric indicators. Data from 140 groups from a group lending program in Burkina Faso were used to demonstrate the application and interpretation of MECOSA.mean and covariance structure models, latent variables, development finance, group lending

Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors and Disparities between the United States mainland compared to Puerto Rico, Guam, and United States Virgin Islands (i. e., United States territories)

Background: No studies have compared the lifestyle behaviors between Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U. S. Virgin Islands to that of the United States mainland. Documenting and addressing health disparities between these geographically and culturally distinct areas are important public health objectives. Differences in health status between and among the United States mainland and territories merit systematic and careful analyses. Methods: Four key healthy lifestyle characteristics include tobacco use, body mass index, physical activity, and fruit/vegetable consumption. Data from the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (N=420,481) were used to examine United States mainland and territorial differences among the four key healthy lifestyle behaviors. Descriptive statistics were summarized with chi-square tests for independence and multiple adjusted logistic regression models were used to examine differences in health compliance rates while controlling for age, gender, income, and education. Frequencies determined whether Healthy People 2010 goals were met by each location. Results: Differences were found between the United States mainland and territories for smoking rates, body mass index, physical activity, and consumption of fruit/vegetables. None of the countries met all four Healthy People 2010 goals. Discussion: Even though, each location had unique challenges, Puerto Ricans’ health behaviors were significantly less favorable than residents in the other countries. We document prevalence rates and differences by country for each of the four healthy lifestyle characteristics. This study highlights the need for more research in these understudied areas as well as the importance of effective health promotion and disease prevention programs for all United States citizens including the mainland and all territories

Development of a polyclonal competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of antibodies to Ehrlichia ruminantium

A polyclonal competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (PC-ELISA) is described for detection of antibodies to Ehrlichia (Cowdria) ruminantium by using a soluble extract of endothelial cell culture-derived E. ruminantium as the antigen and biotin-labeled polyclonal goat immunoglobulins as the competitor. For goats, the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were both 100% with a cutoff of 80% inhibition (80 PI), with detection of antibodies for 550 days postinfection. For cattle, diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were 86 and 100%, respectively, with a cutoff of 50 PI and 79 and 100% with a cutoff of 70 PI. Cross-reactions with high-titer experimental or field antisera to other Ehrlichia and Anaplasma species were observed at up to 68 PI in cattle and up to 85 PI in sheep, and therefore to exclude these cross-reactions, cutoffs of 70 PI for bovine serology and 85 PI for small-ruminant serology were selected. Application of the PC-ELISA to bovine field sera from South Africa gave a higher proportion of positive results than application of the murine macrophage immunofluorescent antibody test or indirect ELISA, suggesting a better sensitivity for detection of recovered cattle, and results with bovine field sera from Malawi were consistent with the observed endemic state of heartwater and the level of tick control practiced at the sample sites. Reproducibility was high, with average standard deviations intraplate of 1.2 PI and interplate of 0.6 PI. The test format is simple, and the test is economical to perform and has a level of sensitivity for detection of low-titer positive bovine sera that may prove to be of value in epidemiological studies on heartwater

POLICY ALTERNATIVES TO REDUCE BARRIERS AFFECTING ACCESS TO RESOURCES FOR OWNERS OF SMALL FARMS IN RURAL AREAS

Agricultural and Food Policy,

Anatomical and biomechanical traits of broiler chickens across ontogeny. Part II. Body segment inertial properties and muscle architecture of the pelvic limb

In broiler chickens, genetic success for desired production traits is often shadowed by welfare concerns related to musculoskeletal health. Whilst these concerns are clear, a viable solution is still elusive. Part of the solution lies in knowing how anatomical changes in afflicted body systems that occur across ontogeny influence standing and moving. Here, to demonstrate these changes we quantify the segment inertial properties of the whole body, trunk (legs removed) and the right pelvic limb segments of five broilers at three different age groups across development. We also consider how muscle architecture (mass, fascicle length and other properties related to mechanics) changes for selected muscles of the pelvic limb. All broilers used had no observed lameness, but we document the limb pathologies identified post mortem, since these two factors do not always correlate, as shown here. The most common leg disorders, including bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis and rotational and angular deformities of the lower limb, were observed in chickens at all developmental stages. Whole limb morphology is not uniform relative to body size, with broilers obtaining large thighs and feet between four and six weeks of age. This implies that the energetic cost of swinging the limbs is markedly increased across this growth period, perhaps contributing to reduced activity levels. Hindlimb bone length does not change during this period, which may be advantageous for increased stability despite the increased energetic costs. Increased pectoral muscle growth appears to move the centre of mass cranio-dorsally in the last two weeks of growth. This has direct consequences for locomotion (potentially greater limb muscle stresses during standing and moving). Our study is the first to measure these changes in the musculoskeletal system across growth in chickens, and reveals how artificially selected changes of the morphology of the pectoral apparatus may cause deficits in locomotion

DETERMINING LOCATIONS FOR RURAL MEDICAL CLINICS: A MODEL AND ITS USE

Community/Rural/Urban Development,

Survey of Bald Eagle and Osprey Nests between Eaton’s Ferry and the Carolina Sub-station, Roanoke Rapids, NC, January 2015

The Center for Conservation Biology (CCB) conducted a single aerial survey to identify bald eagle and osprey nests within the immediate vicinity of the current power line project between Eaton’s Ferry and the Carolina sub-station, near Roanoke Rapids, NC. Efforts were made to identify all bald eagle nests in the immediate vicinity of the power line right-of-way, with particular emphasis on nests that have management buffer overlaps with project boundaries and osprey nests that occur on Dominion Power structures. In addition to the nest survey, efforts were made to identify private structures that encroach upon Dominion’s right-of-way